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Washington Report on Middle East Affairs, April 1987, pages 15-16 Other People's Mail "Gentlemen don't read other people's mail," an idealistic American leader exclaimed between World Wars I and II as he abolished US cryptographic counter-intelligence programs. Times change, however, and some letters by or to other people are as informative for our readers as anything we might write ourselves January 26, 1987
Ms. Sally Wells Dear Ms. Wells, In the spring of 1986, for the first time in many years, I did not renew my membership. You have twice written asking why. Now someone has telephoned. I did not want to complain about a disappointing programming decision to a well-meaning volunteer. I promised, however, to write. Last April public television stations across the United States were offered a special package of three films on Israel and the Palestinians from the producers of PBS' own Flashpoint. Two films looked at the problem from the Israeli perspective and the third film, equal in length to the other two combined, from the Palestinian perspective. To ensure complete balance, an Israeli Likud (right-wing) Member of the Knesset, Ehud Olmert, and a Columbia University Professor of Palestinian origin, Rashid Khalidi, were invited to offer their comments. It seemed to be a carefully balanced presentation. However, the nation's two flagship PBS stations, WNET in New York and WETA in Washington, chose not to show the program and, perhaps as a result, 16 other PBS stations around the country followed your example. Fortunately for those of us in the national capital, Howard University's PBS station, WHMM, did show the program. It is your right, of course, to decide what programs to accept or reject. In this case, however, your decision seems to contradict your responsibility as Washington DC's principal alternative to commercial network television. Leading television news people have been frank in describing why the commercial networks give the Palestinian dispute relatively little coverage in comparison to comparable problems in Central America, South Africa, Afghanistan, Iran or Lebanon. Network executives, they explain, dislike negative news stories about Israel. Since these feelings are reinforced by emotional audience responses and strong advertiser pressures, it's a subject the commercial networks touch gingerly, and infrequently. All the more reason, therefore, for public television to step in where commercial broadcasting falters. Instead, at WETA you faltered. I once heard an Arab-American audience ask a Member of Congress to explain why Congress raises aid to an increasingly intransigent Israel at the same time it opposes weapons sales to increasingly reasonable Arab allies like Jordan and Saudi Arabia. The Representative responded that when Arab Americans begin giving as generously to congressional election campaigns as American Jews, Congressmen will begin voting according to their consciences. I understand, therefore, what you would like to reply to people like me who are deeply concerned with the denial of Palestinian self-determination promised by the United Nations 40 years ago; about the use of our tax money to export US weapons and even US jobs to Israel; and about the blatant anti-Muslim bigotry and anti-Arab racism pervading Hollywood and Israeli entertainment films now flooding American television channels and theaters. Although you can't, you would like to tell us that when we learn to give as generously, and pointedly, as do your Jewish donors, you will have the courage to accept rather than reject a balanced program about the Israeli-Palestinian dispute. Perhaps we do give as generously, but just not as pointedly. Let me tell you first that the contribution you didn't receive in 1986 went to Station WHMM. Let me tell you also that I find it personally repugnant to put strings on my donations to WETA, whose programs I have enjoyed so much. But it's clear to me now that there have been strings on the programming you have provided. When I see from your programming that you've cut yourself free, I'll loosen my purse strings. I'm ready whenever you are. Sincerely, Donna Bourne |